# Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes – Day One
*2017-02-01*

> Bill Young begins the nine‑day novena to Our Lady of Lourdes, offering prayers for the new administration, a Supreme Court nominee, and a personal act of reconciliation.

## Opening Prayer and Intentions

Good morning. I’m Bill Young, and welcome to Prayer & Lunch. Today, February 2nd, is the National Day of Prayer, so we begin our novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. We dedicate these prayers to President Donald J. Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, their cabinet, and we ask God to guide the forthcoming Supreme Court nominee to protect the unborn.

## Novena Prayer and the Litany

The novena begins with the invocation: “Whenever circumstances appear hopeless, the novena of Our Lady of Lourdes imparts particular graces of strength and peace to those who pray and to those for whom we pray.” It is customary to recite the Litany of Our Lady of Lourdes before each day’s prayers. The novena is to be accompanied by a concrete act of charity; today’s resolution is to make an act of reconciliation toward a hostile neighbor.

We then pray the Apostles’ Creed, followed by the Our Father, the Hail Mary (repeated three times), and the concluding prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes.

## Litany of Our Lady of Lourdes

The litany recalls the dogma of the Immaculate Conception proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in 1854 and the 1858 apparition to Bernadette Soubirous. It includes petitions such as:

- “Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of the Divine Savior, pray for us.”
- “Our Lady of Lourdes, who caused a spring to flow, pray for us.”
- “Our Lady of Lourdes, comfort of the afflicted, pray for us.”
- “Our Lady of Lourdes, advocate of souls in purgatory, pray for us.”
- “Our Lady of Lourdes, Virgin of the Holy Rosary, pray for us.”

The litany ends with the traditional “Lamb of God” prayers and a concluding prayer asking that, through Mary’s intercession, we may share in Christ’s gifts.

## Personal Reflections and Requests

I close by reaffirming our prayers for President Trump, asking that the Holy Spirit grant him courage and wisdom. I also thank listeners for their support of the Anchor Cancer Foundation, noting a recent case where a young hospice patient’s family received help paying utility bills. I encourage anyone with personal prayer requests—whether for health, marriage, or other needs—to email me or leave a comment, and I will gladly pray for them.

*Each day of the novena invites us to deepen our trust in Mary’s intercession while reaching out in concrete love to those around us.*